Call for applications

The “UNESCO Merck Africa Research Summit-MARS 2016” is slated to take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on the 28th and 29th of November with scientific support from UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), African Union, Ethiopia Ministry of Health, the University of Cambridge and Institute Pasteur International.

The UNESCO MARS is organized annually to bring together researchers from across Africa to discuss the generation, sharing and dissemination of research data and to prepare for the road ahead to develop Africa as an international hub for research excellence and scientific innovation.

The 2016 edition has the following objectives:

Build research capacity in African scientific research community on health with special focus on "Infectious Diseases and Women Health" and Empowering African Women and Youth in Research.

Showcase innovative research taking place in projects, programs and initiatives across African universities and institutes and by the wider African research community.

Contribute to establishing a road map for enhancing Policy Environments and Mechanisms to Support Research Translation and fill the “Know Do” gap in Africa.

Discuss challenges, opportunities and proposed strategies to support health decision making in low and middle income countries.

Networking opportunities to strength the scientific community and their impact on African society and media communication, where they exchange experience, knowledge, best practice (especially in infectious diseases and women health) and cooperate in future research and development projects.

Share knowledge and experience between multi-sectorial global and African research and health stakeholders including diverse set of speakers from major funding organizations of health/medical research, research institutions, established and emergent researchers, academia, NGOs and editors of scientific/medical journals and policy makers of developed and developing countries.

First 100 selected abstracts will be provided full sponsorship to attend UNESCO-MARS 2016 Summit.

MARS 2016 Awards

UNESCO MARS 2016 is providing tremendous opportunity for young African researchers to win exciting awards including the ‘First Best Three Abstract Awards’ and specially dedicated awards like ‘Best African Women Researcher’ and many more awards…

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible, the applicant must be:

A final year African PhD student/young investigator involved in HIV, Ebola and other infectious disease research.

Based at African research institutes and universities.

The first and presenting author of an accepted abstract.

Under 40 years of age as of 31 December, 2016.

Submitting a copy of the passport pages displaying photograph and passport number.